1 Sediments lie along the bottoms of bodies of water. They are carried along by the current and settle out of the water. There are sediments on the bottoms of streams and rivers. There are also sediments on the ocean floor.2 Most of the sediments on the ocean floor come from the land. Rivers wash mud and sand into the ocean. Volcanic ash and other dust are blown into the ocean by the wind.3 Course-grained materials settle near beaches and rocky shorelines. But finer-grained materials settle slowly. It may take centuries for silt or clay to settle to the ocean bottom.